Recline Ridge Winery 2011 Maréchal Foch, British Columbia, $20

Before the government-sponsored pullout after the NAFTA, much of the British Columbia wine industry was built upon winter-hardy hybrids such as this tribute to the French war hero Ferdinand Foch. This winery near Shuswap Lake north of Kelowna has a tradition of excelling with wines from the aging vines, and this vintage hints at Syrah more than Pinot Noir with its gamy nose of black currant, blueberry, mince meat with spices and horehound. Those dark purple fruity notes are matched on the palate, which is rather sensual with its rich structure and finish of fig jam and blueberry seed tannin.